Power-driven conveyer



Oct. 8, 1940. J. M, O'MALLEY 2,217,075

POWERTDRIVEN CONVEYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 6, 1939 INVENTOR JOSEPH M. oMAL. LEY

ATTORNEY Oct. 8, 1940. M, O'M'ALLEY 2,217,075

POWER-DRIVEN CONVEYER Filed March 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fNl/ENZOR JOSEPH MOMALLEY ATTORNE Patented Oct. 8, 1940 POWER-DRIVEN CONVEYER Joseph M. 0Malley, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 6, 1939, Serial No. 260,121

. 4 Claims. (01. 198-127) This invention relates to power-driven conveyers, and more particularly to conveyers of the type having a series of rotating rollers arranged to move elongated bars of material in a longitudinal direction.

Conveyers of this general construction are often used for transporting hot metal bars in rolling mills, and in many cases provision is made for discharging the bars laterally from the rollers on to cooling beds located at one or both sides of the conveyer. It has been proposed heretofore to drive the rollers electrically, but the prior constructions have been complicated and expensive, with a tendency toward overheating of the electrical circuits. Furthermore, the construction of these prior electrically driven rollers has been such as to require the use of yokes-or similar devices for supporting the rollers, particularly when they are installed in conveyers having provision for effecting lateral discharge of the bars by an angular displacement of the axes of the rollers. When the conveyer is associated with a double cooling bed, it is a common practice to provide two parallel lines of travel for the bars, with a switching device arranged to direct the bars to the respective lines alternately.- This has certain disadvantages, particularly when the bars are relatively wide, for such bars cannot be bent readily in lateral directions.

- It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive electrically driven roller which can be operated continuously without overheating.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an electrically driven roller which can be supported in a simple manner and which is particularly adapted for use in conveyers having provision for discharging bars laterally therefrom.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive conveyer arranged to move elongated bars of material longitudinally in a single line and to effect their lateral discharge to either side as desired.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a powerdriven roller conveyer, the portion at the left end of the figure being shown in section on the line ll of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in section onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the parts in position to discharge a bar laterally; and Fig. 6 is a detail of a supporting member for a roller.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a series of spaced power-driven conveyer rollers l0 arranged with their upper or stock-supporting sur-' {'5 faces in' horizontal alignment. These rollers serve to convey elongated bars of stock in a lon gitudinal direction as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, the axes of the rollers being horizontal and transverse to'the line of stock travel. On each side of the line of conveyer rollers there is provided a longitudinally extending receiving trough ll, these troughs forming a part of a double cooling bed, which may be of any suitable construction. In order to support the bars of stock between the rollers and prevent excessive sagging of these bars, suitable horizontal plates 12 areprovided with their upper surfaces located slightly lower than the tops of the rollers.

As shown particularly in Fig. 3, each roller I0 is formed with two axially-aligned parts or elements each of which comprises an annular flange or rim [4, a central hub 15, .and radial spokes l6v connecting the hub to the flange. The adjacent inner edges of the flanges M are separated by a 35, narrow annular space or slot I'I.v The hubs 15 are mounted on the opposite ends of a normally horizontal shaft I9 forming a part of an electric motor 20 which is enclosed by the flanges I4. This shaft I9 is rotatably supported in suitable bearings 2| in the two end-frames 22 of the motor. On the central portion of the shaft there is mounted a rotor 24 which is surrounded by the usual stator 25. The end-frames 22 are-'connected by bolts 26. Between the two end-frames there is mounted a curved or arcuate member 28 which extends partially around the outside of the stator 25 and is held in place by theclamping action of the bolts 26. This member is formed on its outer surface with a narrow rib 29 which extends into the space I! between the flanges I4 and at one point projects outwardly through this space to connect with an enlargement or boss 30. This boss provides the means for supporting the motor in the proper position in the conveyer. 56

The member 28 is preferably formed with a gap 32 at the bottom (Fig. 6) so that when the parts are assembled a narrow opening will be provided between the flanges l4. The electrical leads (not shown) to the motor 20 may pass through this opening, and it may also be used for the admission of air to cool the motor. The desired air circulation may be brought about by forming-the'spokes l6 at an angle with the axis of rotation as indicated in Fig. 2, so that they will act as vanes or propeller blades to blow air outwardly from the ends of the roller.

If suitable side guides are provided, the rollers [0 may be made cylindrical in shape, the guides being depended upon to maintain the bars in the proper line of travel. However, in the embodiment illustrated I have shown no side guides, since they complicate the problem of discharging the bars laterally from the rollers, andI have formed the flanges [4 with tapered or frusto conical outer surfaces which converge toward the centers of the rollers. This construction will beefiective to prevent lateral deviation of the bars from the desired line.

. The discharge of the bars laterally from the rollers into the troughs II is preferably brought about by tipping the rollers and the plates l2 to one side or the other as desired. For this pureach boss 30 is secured to one end of a horizontal shaft 34 which extends at right angles with the axis, of the roller, each shaft 34 being rotatably mounted in a pair of bearings 35 (Fig. 2) ona bracket 36. The entire: series of brackets is mounted on a pair of spaced parallel beams 38 .;which extend longitudinally of the conveyer.

The beams 38 are supported by a series of transverse frame members 39. Each plate I2 is carried by a supporting hub 40 therebeneath which is secured to the adjacent shaft 34. An arm 42 extends downwardly from each shaft 34, and each arm carries at its lower end a roller 43 which is positioned within aslot 44 formed in an arm 46. These arms 46 extend upwardly from a longitudinally. positioned control shaft 41 carried in bearings 48 on the frame members 39. By turning the control shaft 4'! to one side or the other asidesired, the rollers I0 and plates I 2 may be tilted-laterally, as shown for example in Fig. 5, causing the bar of stock to slide by gravity into the trough. I l adjacent the depressed ends of the rollers. It will be noted that the ends of the rollers are formed with spherical surfaces to reducethe clearance space required between the rollers. and the troughs l I.

' The operation of the invention will now be apparentfrom the above disclosure. Upon energi zation of the motors 20, the shafts l9 and rollers ID will be rotated, and the bars of material will be transported longitudinally on the upper surfaces of the rollers. The spokes l 6 will act as fan blades to draw cooling air upwardly through the gap 32 in the bottom of each member 28 and discharge this air outwardly from the ends of the rollers. So long as the axes of the rollers III are horizontal the bars of material will remain on the centers of the rollers, bridging the narrow slot l1, because of the slight tapering of the flanges l4. By turning the control shaft 41 slightly in one di- .rollers until they are discharged therefrom.

Having thus described my .invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

- 1. A power-driven conveyer for elongated bars of materialcomprising an electric motor having a normally horizontal rotatable shaft, rotatable elements secured to the opposite ends of the shaft and having annular flanges which extend toward each other in surrounding relation to the motor, the adjacent edgesof the flanges being separated by a.. narrow slot, means extending, inwardly through the-slot to provide a support for the motor,'a substantially horizontal shaft connected to the supporting means and extending at right angles with the motor axis, and means to oscillate the last-mentioned shaft and thereby effect lateral discharge of a bar. g

2. A power-driven conveyer comprising an electric motor having a normally horizontal rotatable shaft, rotatable elements secured to the opposite ends of the shaft and'having annular flanges which extend toward eachother in surrounding relation to the motor, the adjacent edges of the flanges being separated by a narrow slot, means extending inwardly through the slot to provide a support for the motor, and means extending upwardly from the motor to provide a closure for the upper portion of the slot.

3. A power-driven conveyer comprising an electric motor having a normally horizontal rotatable shaft, rotatable elements secured to the opposite ends of the shaft and having annular flanges which extend toward each other in surrounding relation to the motor, the adjacent edges of the flanges being separated by a narrow slot, means extending inwardly through the slot to provide a support for the motor,.and a rib extending upwardly from the motor into the upper portion of the slot to provide a closure therefor.

4. A power-driven conveyer for elongated bars of material comprising an electric motor having a normally horizontal rotatable shaft, rotatable elements secured to the opposite ends of the shaft and having annular flanges which extend toward each other in surrounding relation to the motor, the adjacent edges of the flangesbeing separated by a narrow slot, means extending inwardly through the slot to provide a support for the motor, a substantially horizontal shaft connected to the supporting means and extending at right angles with the motor axis, a substantially horizontal plate'located adjacent the rotatable ele-' ments to prevent sagging-of the bars and connected to the last-mentioned shaft, and means to oscillate the last-mentioned shaft and thereby effect lateral discharge of a bar. I JOSEPH M. OMALLEY. 

